Wei Gao
Encyclopedia
Wei Gao (745
– September 13, 805), courtesy name Chengwu (城武), formally Prince Zhongwu of Nankang (南康忠武王), was a general of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. He was a long-time (from 785
to 805) military governor (Jiedushi
) of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu
, Sichuan
) who was most known for his campaigns against Tufan and his reopening of relationship between Tang and Nanzhao.
, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong
. His family was from Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang Dynasty
capital Chang'an
). HIs sixth-generation ancestor Wei Fan (韋範) had accomplishments during Tang's two predecessor dynasties, Northern Zhou
and Sui Dynasty
.
Early in the Dali era (766
-779
) of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong
, Wei served as one of the ceremonial pallbearer
s for the burial of Emperor Xuanzong's son and Emperor Daizong's father Emperor Suzong
, and thereafter was made an officer at Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
). In 782
, during the reign of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong
, when the chancellor Zhang Yi
was made the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
), he invited Wei to serve on his staff as an assistant overseeing military farming, and also put Wei in charge of the army stationed at Long Prefecture (隴州, in modern Baoji).
In 783
, soldiers from Jingxuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
, Gansu
), at Chang'an to await deployment to the east for wars against warlords, mutinied after not receiving rewards that they believed they deserved, and Emperor Dezong fled to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
). The Jingyuan soldiers supported Zhang Yi's predecessor as military governor of Fengxiang Circuit, Zhu Ci
as their leader. As Zhu Ci had been removed from his command by Emperor Dezong due to a rebellion by his brother Zhu Tao
, he resented Emperor Dezong, and he soon declared himself emperor of a new state of Qin. The Fengxiang officer Li Chulin (李楚琳) mutinied, killed Zhang, and submitted to Zhu. Meanwhile, another former subordinate of Zhu's, Niu Yun'guang (牛雲光), stationed at Long Prefecture, was ready to rise against Wei and seize Long Prefecture for Zhu, but when he was discovered, he fled toward Chang'an. On the way, however, he met Zhu's emissary Su Yu (蘇玉), who wanted to try to persuade Wei to submit, and thus they returned to Long Prefecture together. Wei pretended to be ready to submit, but instead, after welcoming them into the city, killed them. He then led the soldiers in swearing an oath to Emperor Dezong, sent his cousins Wei Ping (韋平) and Wei Yan (韋弇) to Fengtian to report the events to Emperor Dezong, and also sought aid from Tufan. Emperor Dezong made Long Prefecture into its own circuit — Fengyi Circuit (奉義) and made Wei its military governor. Zhu then sent another emissary to Wei, promising to make him the military governor of Fengxiang; Wei executed the emissary. After Zhu was defeated and Emperor Dezong returned to Chang'an in 784
, he summoned Wei and made him a general of the imperial guards. Under the suggestion of the chancellor Xiao Fu
, he also considered Wei as a possible replacement for Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊) as the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
), but did not actually do so.
, Emperor Dezong made Wei Gao the military governor of Xichuan Circuit, replacing Zhang Yanshang
. In 787
, with Tufan making repeated incursions into Tang territory and Tufan's vassal Nanzhao (which had previously been a Tang vassal) making overtures to Wei indicating that its king Yimouxun (異牟尋) was considering resubmitting to Tang, Wei, with Emperor Dezong's approval, wrote to Yimouxun, seeking further reconciliation between Tang and Nanzhao. He also seek to aid the effort persuading Ju Nashi (苴那時), the chieftain of Nanzhao's neighbor Wudeng Tribe (勿鄧), to serve as a go-between.
In 788
, when Tufan was ready to launch a campaign against Xichuan Circuit with 100,000 men, it requested Nanzhao to also mobilize and aid its forces. Wei, knowing that Yimouxun was hesitating in his choice between the two potential suzerains, wrote a letter addressed to Yimouxun congratulating him on agreeing to submit to Tang — and intentionally had the letter delivered to Tufan through Nanzhao's neighboring tribes (collectively known as the Dongman (東蠻), located in modern Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture
, Sichuan
). Tufan, beginning to suspect Nanzhao's loyalty, stationed 10,000 men on the road between Tang and Nanzhao. Yimouxun, in anger over this action, withdrew his own troops and did not aid in the Tufan campaign. Wei subsequently defeated Tufan forces at Qingxi Pass (清溪關, in modern Ya'an
, Sichuan
), and after several further defeats, Tufan forces withdrew.
In 789
, Wei sent his officer Cao Youdao (曹有道), in conjunction with forces of Dongman and Lianglinman (兩林蠻, located in modern Liangshan), attacked Tufan's Qinghai (青海) and Lacheng (臘城) Circuits (both located southeast of Qinghai Lake
), and the forces battled at Xi Prefecture (雟州, in modern Liangshan). The Tufan forces were defeated, and during the battle, and the Tufan general Qizang Zhezhe (乞藏遮遮) was killed. It was said that after Qizang's death, Wei was continuously successful against Tufan forces over the next few years, recapturing Xi Prefecture.
Meanwhile, Wei was continuously writing to Yimouxun, but Yimouxun did not respond. Nevertheless, Nanzhao was sending fewer and fewer men to assist Tufan on campaigns. In 791
, Wei made further overture to Nanzhao by sending his officer Duan Zhongyi (段忠義), who was originally from Nanzhao and who had served as an emissary for Yimouxun's grandfather Geluofeng (閤羅鳳), as an emissary back to Nanzhao. (This drew an incident between Tufan and Nanzhao when Tufan found out, forcing Yimouxun to turn someone with a similar profile to Duan to Tufan. Tufan further reacted by demanding that Nanzhao officials' sons be sent to Tufan as hostages to ensure Nanzhao's loyalty, and the Nanzhao people became further resentful of Tufan.) Around this time, there was also an incident when the chief of Wudeng, Ju Mengchong (苴夢沖), resubmitted to Tufan and was cutting off the communication line between Tang and Nanzhao, and Wei sent an army to kill Ju, reopening the communication line.
In 792
, Wei attacked Wei Prefecture (維州, in modern Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
, Sichuan
) and captured the Tufan general Lun Zanre (論贊熱). In 793
, when Emperor Dezong ordered the reconstruction of Yan Prefecture (鹽州, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi
), he was concerned that Tufan forces might attack the Tang forces rebuilding Yan Prefecture before the walls can be completed, so he ordered Wei to attack Tufan to distract Tufan forces; Wei's attack captured some 50 Tufan fortifications, and as a reward, Emperor Dezong gave him the honorary title of acting You Pushe (右僕射). Meanwhile, he finally received a positive response from Yimouxun on his repeated overtures, as Yimouxun sent three emissaries bearing tributes of gold (to show firmness) and cinnabar
(to show honesty) in late 793. Wei had the Yimouxun's emissaries escorted to Chang'an and then back to Nanzhao, sending with them his officer Cui Zuoshi (崔佐時) with an imperial edict and his own letter. When Cui arrived in Nanzhao in spring 794
, he persuaded Yimouxun to finally turn against Tufan and back to Tang. Subsequently, Tufan launched a surprise attack on Tufan, capturing more than 100,000 men, and formally submitted to Tang, greatly reducing Tufan's abilities to attack Tang.
, Wei Gao was given the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangzhi (同中書門下平章事). Meanwhile, it was said that he kept in Emperor Dezong's good graces by offering daily tributes to Emperor Dezong. In 801
, with Emperor Dezong ordering him to attack Tufan to divert Tufan's attentions from the northern regions, he, in joint operaiton with Yimouxun, attacked a number of Tufan outposts and burned them, killing over 10,000 Tufan soldiers in the process. To reward Wei, Emperor Dezong gave him honorary titles of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies
) as well as Zhongshu Ling (中書令), and created him the Prince of Nankang. Subsequently, Wei put Wei Prefecture and Kunming (昆明, in modern Liangshan, not modern Kunming
) under siege; when a Tufan army under the command of the general Lun Mangre (論莽熱) came to try to lift the siege, Wei engaged him and captured him. However, with Wei's own army suffering major losses, he was forced to withdraw.
In 805
, Emperor Dezong died and was succeeded by his severely-ill son Emperor Shunzong
. Emperor Shunzong gave Wei the honorific title of acting Taiwei (太尉, also one of the Three Excellencies). Meanwhile, Emperor Shunzong's close associate Wang Shuwen
became powerful, and Wei sent his deputy military governor, Liu Pi
, to Chang'an, to meet with Wang, requesting that Wei be put in charge of not only Xichuan, but also two neighboring circuits — Dongchuan (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang
, Sichuan
) and Shannan West (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong
, Shaanxi
). Liu, apparently under Wei's instruction, informed Wang:
Wang, in anger, wanted to kill Liu, but was stopped by the chancellor Wei Zhiyi
. Meanwhile, when Yang Shi'e (羊士諤), an official from Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng
, Anhui
), also made demands to Wang on behalf of his superiors, Wang exiled Yang. When Liu heard this, he fled back to Xichuan and reported to Wei. Apparently in response, Wei submitted a strongly worded petition denouncing Wang and his partisans. Wei also wrote a letter to Emperor Shunzong's crown prince
Li Chun
, urging him to take over as regent
, to which Li Chun reacted favorably. Wei's petition was followed by those from two other senior military governors, Pei Jun (裴均) and Yan Shou (嚴綬), which much shocked Wang's partisans. Soon thereafter, with Wang forced to leave governmental service due to his mother's death and Emperor Shunzong thereafter passing the throne to Li Chun (as Emperor Xianzong) later in 805, Wang and his partisans lost power and were purged.
Late in 805, Wei died and was given great posthumous honors. According to the Song Dynasty
historian Sima Guang
, who harmonized the commentaries about Wei in the Book of Tang
and the New Book of Tang
:
745
Year 745 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 745 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Newly founded Uighur Empire control most of...
– September 13, 805), courtesy name Chengwu (城武), formally Prince Zhongwu of Nankang (南康忠武王), was a general of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. He was a long-time (from 785
785
Year 785 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The article denomination 785 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years...
to 805) military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
) who was most known for his campaigns against Tufan and his reopening of relationship between Tang and Nanzhao.
Background and early career
Wei Gao was born in 745745
Year 745 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 745 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Newly founded Uighur Empire control most of...
, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
. His family was from Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
). HIs sixth-generation ancestor Wei Fan (韋範) had accomplishments during Tang's two predecessor dynasties, Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
and Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
.
Early in the Dali era (766
766
Year 766 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 766 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.-Asia:* Karluks, defeat Turgesh...
-779
779
Year 779 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 779 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Offa of Mercia defeats Cynewulf of Wessex...
) of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
, Wei served as one of the ceremonial pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
s for the burial of Emperor Xuanzong's son and Emperor Daizong's father Emperor Suzong
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
, and thereafter was made an officer at Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
Weinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). In 782
782
Year 782 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 782 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Charlemagne summons the monk and scholar...
, during the reign of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong
Emperor Dezong of Tang
Emperor Dezong of Tang , personally name Li Kuo , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the oldest son of his father Emperor Daizong. His reign of 26 years was the third longest in the Tang dynasty...
, when the chancellor Zhang Yi
Zhang Yi (Tang Dynasty)
Zhang Yi , courtesy names Jiquan and Gongdu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, briefly serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
was made the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
Baoji
Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), he invited Wei to serve on his staff as an assistant overseeing military farming, and also put Wei in charge of the army stationed at Long Prefecture (隴州, in modern Baoji).
In 783
783
Year 783 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 783 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Campaigns of the Byzantine...
, soldiers from Jingxuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
Pingliang
Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), at Chang'an to await deployment to the east for wars against warlords, mutinied after not receiving rewards that they believed they deserved, and Emperor Dezong fled to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). The Jingyuan soldiers supported Zhang Yi's predecessor as military governor of Fengxiang Circuit, Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He initially served as military governor of Lulong Circuit , but later became a general for the imperial government...
as their leader. As Zhu Ci had been removed from his command by Emperor Dezong due to a rebellion by his brother Zhu Tao
Zhu Tao
Zhu Tao , formally the Prince of Tongyi , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who initially served imperial causes during the reigns of Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong, but later turned against imperial rule in alliance with Wang Wujun, Tian Yue, and Li Na...
, he resented Emperor Dezong, and he soon declared himself emperor of a new state of Qin. The Fengxiang officer Li Chulin (李楚琳) mutinied, killed Zhang, and submitted to Zhu. Meanwhile, another former subordinate of Zhu's, Niu Yun'guang (牛雲光), stationed at Long Prefecture, was ready to rise against Wei and seize Long Prefecture for Zhu, but when he was discovered, he fled toward Chang'an. On the way, however, he met Zhu's emissary Su Yu (蘇玉), who wanted to try to persuade Wei to submit, and thus they returned to Long Prefecture together. Wei pretended to be ready to submit, but instead, after welcoming them into the city, killed them. He then led the soldiers in swearing an oath to Emperor Dezong, sent his cousins Wei Ping (韋平) and Wei Yan (韋弇) to Fengtian to report the events to Emperor Dezong, and also sought aid from Tufan. Emperor Dezong made Long Prefecture into its own circuit — Fengyi Circuit (奉義) and made Wei its military governor. Zhu then sent another emissary to Wei, promising to make him the military governor of Fengxiang; Wei executed the emissary. After Zhu was defeated and Emperor Dezong returned to Chang'an in 784
784
Year 784 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 784 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Japanese capital moves away from Nara,...
, he summoned Wei and made him a general of the imperial guards. Under the suggestion of the chancellor Xiao Fu
Xiao Fu
Xiao Fu , courtesy name Lüchu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :Xiao Fu was born in 732, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong...
, he also considered Wei as a possible replacement for Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊) as the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), but did not actually do so.
Before Nanzhao's resubmission
In 785785
Year 785 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The article denomination 785 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years...
, Emperor Dezong made Wei Gao the military governor of Xichuan Circuit, replacing Zhang Yanshang
Zhang Yanshang
Zhang Yanshang , né Zhang Baofu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
. In 787
787
Year 787 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 787 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Conall succeeds Drest as king of the...
, with Tufan making repeated incursions into Tang territory and Tufan's vassal Nanzhao (which had previously been a Tang vassal) making overtures to Wei indicating that its king Yimouxun (異牟尋) was considering resubmitting to Tang, Wei, with Emperor Dezong's approval, wrote to Yimouxun, seeking further reconciliation between Tang and Nanzhao. He also seek to aid the effort persuading Ju Nashi (苴那時), the chieftain of Nanzhao's neighbor Wudeng Tribe (勿鄧), to serve as a go-between.
In 788
788
Year 788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 788 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Charlemagne conquers Bavaria.* Bermudo I...
, when Tufan was ready to launch a campaign against Xichuan Circuit with 100,000 men, it requested Nanzhao to also mobilize and aid its forces. Wei, knowing that Yimouxun was hesitating in his choice between the two potential suzerains, wrote a letter addressed to Yimouxun congratulating him on agreeing to submit to Tang — and intentionally had the letter delivered to Tufan through Nanzhao's neighboring tribes (collectively known as the Dongman (東蠻), located in modern Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture
Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture
Liangshan , officially the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, is an autonomous prefecture in Sichuan, south central China whose capital is Xichang. Liangshan has an area of 60,423 km² and over 4.5 million inhabitants...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
). Tufan, beginning to suspect Nanzhao's loyalty, stationed 10,000 men on the road between Tang and Nanzhao. Yimouxun, in anger over this action, withdrew his own troops and did not aid in the Tufan campaign. Wei subsequently defeated Tufan forces at Qingxi Pass (清溪關, in modern Ya'an
Ya'an
Ya'an is a prefecture-level city in the western part of Sichuan province of Southwest China, located just below the Tibetan Plateau.-History:...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
), and after several further defeats, Tufan forces withdrew.
In 789
789
Year 789 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 789 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* An uprising in Japan leads to a major defeat...
, Wei sent his officer Cao Youdao (曹有道), in conjunction with forces of Dongman and Lianglinman (兩林蠻, located in modern Liangshan), attacked Tufan's Qinghai (青海) and Lacheng (臘城) Circuits (both located southeast of Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake , is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai, and is the largest lake in China. The names Qinghai and Kokonor both mean "Blue/Teal Sea/Lake" in Chinese and Mongolian. It is located about west of the provincial capital of Xining at 3,205 m above sea level in a depression...
), and the forces battled at Xi Prefecture (雟州, in modern Liangshan). The Tufan forces were defeated, and during the battle, and the Tufan general Qizang Zhezhe (乞藏遮遮) was killed. It was said that after Qizang's death, Wei was continuously successful against Tufan forces over the next few years, recapturing Xi Prefecture.
Meanwhile, Wei was continuously writing to Yimouxun, but Yimouxun did not respond. Nevertheless, Nanzhao was sending fewer and fewer men to assist Tufan on campaigns. In 791
791
Year 791 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 791 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The Avars invade Europe again, but are...
, Wei made further overture to Nanzhao by sending his officer Duan Zhongyi (段忠義), who was originally from Nanzhao and who had served as an emissary for Yimouxun's grandfather Geluofeng (閤羅鳳), as an emissary back to Nanzhao. (This drew an incident between Tufan and Nanzhao when Tufan found out, forcing Yimouxun to turn someone with a similar profile to Duan to Tufan. Tufan further reacted by demanding that Nanzhao officials' sons be sent to Tufan as hostages to ensure Nanzhao's loyalty, and the Nanzhao people became further resentful of Tufan.) Around this time, there was also an incident when the chief of Wudeng, Ju Mengchong (苴夢沖), resubmitted to Tufan and was cutting off the communication line between Tang and Nanzhao, and Wei sent an army to kill Ju, reopening the communication line.
In 792
792
Year 792 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 792 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Irene is confirmed empress of the...
, Wei attacked Wei Prefecture (維州, in modern Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
The Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in Sichuan, whose capital is Barkam town . It has an area of 83,201 km²....
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
) and captured the Tufan general Lun Zanre (論贊熱). In 793
793
Year 793 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 793 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* June 8 – Vikings sack the monastery...
, when Emperor Dezong ordered the reconstruction of Yan Prefecture (鹽州, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi
Yulin, Shaanxi
Yulin is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanxi province of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 43,578 km² and a population of 3,380,000.-Geography and climate:...
), he was concerned that Tufan forces might attack the Tang forces rebuilding Yan Prefecture before the walls can be completed, so he ordered Wei to attack Tufan to distract Tufan forces; Wei's attack captured some 50 Tufan fortifications, and as a reward, Emperor Dezong gave him the honorary title of acting You Pushe (右僕射). Meanwhile, he finally received a positive response from Yimouxun on his repeated overtures, as Yimouxun sent three emissaries bearing tributes of gold (to show firmness) and cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
(to show honesty) in late 793. Wei had the Yimouxun's emissaries escorted to Chang'an and then back to Nanzhao, sending with them his officer Cui Zuoshi (崔佐時) with an imperial edict and his own letter. When Cui arrived in Nanzhao in spring 794
794
Year 794 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 794 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Kyoto becomes the Japanese capital, ending...
, he persuaded Yimouxun to finally turn against Tufan and back to Tang. Subsequently, Tufan launched a surprise attack on Tufan, capturing more than 100,000 men, and formally submitted to Tang, greatly reducing Tufan's abilities to attack Tang.
After Nanzhao's resubmission
In 796796
Year 796 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 796 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* December – Coenwulf becomes king of...
, Wei Gao was given the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangzhi (同中書門下平章事). Meanwhile, it was said that he kept in Emperor Dezong's good graces by offering daily tributes to Emperor Dezong. In 801
801
Year 801 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Births :* September 8 or September 9 – Ansgar, German monk and archbishop, known as The Apostle of the North Year 801 (DCCCI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian...
, with Emperor Dezong ordering him to attack Tufan to divert Tufan's attentions from the northern regions, he, in joint operaiton with Yimouxun, attacked a number of Tufan outposts and burned them, killing over 10,000 Tufan soldiers in the process. To reward Wei, Emperor Dezong gave him honorary titles of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies
Three Excellencies
The Three Ducal Ministers , also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in ancient China...
) as well as Zhongshu Ling (中書令), and created him the Prince of Nankang. Subsequently, Wei put Wei Prefecture and Kunming (昆明, in modern Liangshan, not modern Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
) under siege; when a Tufan army under the command of the general Lun Mangre (論莽熱) came to try to lift the siege, Wei engaged him and captured him. However, with Wei's own army suffering major losses, he was forced to withdraw.
In 805
805
Year 805 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Byzantine Empire :* Emperor Nicephorus I of Byzantium suffers a major defeat against the Saracens at Crasus.- Asia :...
, Emperor Dezong died and was succeeded by his severely-ill son Emperor Shunzong
Emperor Shunzong of Tang
Emperor Shunzong of Tang , personal name Li Song , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was created crown prince in 779 and became emperor in 805 after the death of his father Emperor Dezong, of whom he was the oldest son...
. Emperor Shunzong gave Wei the honorific title of acting Taiwei (太尉, also one of the Three Excellencies). Meanwhile, Emperor Shunzong's close associate Wang Shuwen
Wang Shuwen
Wang Shuwen was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was a close associate of Emperor Shunzong while Li Song was crown prince under his father Emperor Dezong, and was powerful during Emperor Shunzong's brief reign in 805, when Emperor Shunzong was severely ill...
became powerful, and Wei sent his deputy military governor, Liu Pi
Liu Pi
Liu Pi was a Yellow Turban rebel general during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Biography:After the decline of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Pi's men allied themselves with Yuan Shu and Sun Jian in the early 190s. His party thrived in the Yingchuan and Runan region, and by the...
, to Chang'an, to meet with Wang, requesting that Wei be put in charge of not only Xichuan, but also two neighboring circuits — Dongchuan (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang
Mianyang
Mianyang is the second largest prefecture-level city of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Its administrative area includes the city proper of Mianyang, with 985,586 inhabitants in the built up area , the county-level city of Jiangyou, and six counties, covering an area of over and a population...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
) and Shannan West (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). Liu, apparently under Wei's instruction, informed Wang:
Wang, in anger, wanted to kill Liu, but was stopped by the chancellor Wei Zhiyi
Wei Zhiyi
Wei Zhiyi was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor in 805, during the brief reign of Emperor Shunzong and then briefly into the reign of Emperor Shunzong's son Emperor Xianzong...
. Meanwhile, when Yang Shi'e (羊士諤), an official from Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng
Xuancheng
Xuancheng is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Anhui province of Eastern China. It borders Wuhu to the northwest, Chizhou to the west, Huangshan to the southwest, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu to the southeast and northeast respectively....
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), also made demands to Wang on behalf of his superiors, Wang exiled Yang. When Liu heard this, he fled back to Xichuan and reported to Wei. Apparently in response, Wei submitted a strongly worded petition denouncing Wang and his partisans. Wei also wrote a letter to Emperor Shunzong's crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Li Chun
Emperor Xianzong of Tang
Emperor Xianzong of Tang , personal name Li Chun , né Li Chun , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
, urging him to take over as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, to which Li Chun reacted favorably. Wei's petition was followed by those from two other senior military governors, Pei Jun (裴均) and Yan Shou (嚴綬), which much shocked Wang's partisans. Soon thereafter, with Wang forced to leave governmental service due to his mother's death and Emperor Shunzong thereafter passing the throne to Li Chun (as Emperor Xianzong) later in 805, Wang and his partisans lost power and were purged.
Late in 805, Wei died and was given great posthumous honors. According to the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
historian Sima Guang
Sima Guang
Sīmǎ Guāng was a Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty, jinshi 1038.-Life, profession, and works:...
, who harmonized the commentaries about Wei in the Book of Tang
Book of Tang
The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...
and the New Book of Tang
New Book of Tang
The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...
: